Bad Ingredients - Part 1

It's unfortunate that so many skin care and anti wrinkle products on the market contain a range of constituents that can potentially harm you over a period of time, some being carcinogenic. The following are ingredients to be aware of:

Mineral Oil

The moisturizing effects of anti wrinkle creams are commonly achieved by the mineral oils in them. Companies use mineral oil because it cheap. Call it what you will (mineral oil, petrolatum, liquid paraffin, paraffin wax), they are all bad for your skin.

After a single application of an anti wrinkle cream containing mineral oil, your pores will become blocked and your skin won't be able to breathe. Consequently, your skin may form pimples and rashes. And after continued use, your skin will stop producing it's own oils. When this happens, it will become dry and scaly.

This common ingredient in creams can actually do the opposite of giving you younger looking skin.

And what's worse is the result from a recent study on mice that found the application of commercial anti wrinkle creams containing mineral oil and sodium lauryl sulphate significantly increased the frequency of skin cancer.

That brings me onto the next ingredient to avoid...

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)

This inexpensive detergent is commonly used in cosmetic cleansers, shampoos and bath/shower gels to enhance penetration and absorption of other active ingredients. It is arguably the most dangerous ingredient used in skin care products. SLS is used for industrial cleaning of workshop floors, engine degreasers and car wash detergents. It is highly corrosive and attacks oils and greases.

Sodium lauryl sulphate is harmful to skin as it cleans by corrosion. It dries skin by stripping the external protective lipids, which help control skin moisture.

Another serious dilemma is the association of SLS with nitrate contamination. SLS reacts with many ingredients used in skin products to form nitrosomines. These nitrates are potentially carcinogenic.


There are several more bad ingredients discussed in Part 2 of this post.

The New Buzzword - Cosmeceuticals

Derived from a cross between cosmetics anf pharmeceuticals, the term "cosmeceuticals" implies that these anti aging creams are better than ever. Unfortunately, these anti wrinkle products aren't the wonder creams that the cosmetic companies would like you to believe.

In a recent test (2009), French and US organisations jointly tested popular anti wrinkle creams and lotions. On average, each cream was tested on 20 women, aged between 30 and 70 years old, for 3 months.

The results showed that all creams had some benefits on all women, but none of the creams had an effect on all participants. And there seemed to be no correlation between the type of active ingredient and performance, nor did cost relate to performance.

Are We Surprised?

If you've already spent a pile of money on anti wrinkle creams that haven't come up to your expectations, this conclusion won't come as any surprise. But there are several reasons why you may also find cosmeceutical creams don't work for your wrinkles...

Firstly, the science of skin aging isn't simple. There are numerous aspects involved, including varied cell regeneration rates, loss of subcutaneous fat, attack from free radicals, varying hormonal levels and breakdown of skin cell components. Therefore, trying an anti wrinkle cream that targets just one or two of these factors won't benefit other skin ailments that you may have.

Secondly, everybody has different skin types. So, it's logical that different anti wrinkle products will generate different results for different people.

Thirdly, while the results from "scientific studies" may indicate that specific components will work in a laboratory situation, it doesn't guarantee that the product will work when you use it on your skin. More often than not, the active ingredients can't even penetrate your skin. Or the active ingredient may be unstable and deteriorate, thereby not having sufficient concentration to affect your skin. Additionally, other ingredients may hinder the activity and benefits of the prime ingredient.

There are a lot of expensive products on the market that don't do a lot in the way of skin rejuvenation. But, coming out of the wrinkle cream reviews, here are three anti wrinkle products that hold some promise:

• tretinoin (also known as retinoic acid), found in perscription-only creams.
• AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), but only in concentrations of greater that 10%.
• sunscreen. Try wearing sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat to minimize the amount of skin damage from the sun's UV rays (and it's likely to be the least expensive, too!).